The SEDA Joint Rail Authority, for the first time in 30 years, will be seeking proposals to operate five short lines on track it owns in eight central Pennsylvania counties.

Those interested must provide the locomotives and cars — the authority owns just the track it obtained from the former Conrail.

The authority, which has been putting together specifications, is expected to vote at its May meeting to seek proposals, executive director Jeff Stover said Wednesday.

There has been no dissatisfaction with North Shore Railroad, the current operator based in Northumberland, but the authority wants to see what other proposals the market brings, he said.

The authority now receives 10 percent of the gross revenue of the railroads, amounting to about $1.2 million annually, Stover said. North Shore is responsible for track maintenance, and uses the money for capital projects, he said.

North Shore was selected in 1984 from eight proposals, and has continued to operate the short line railroads under a series of contract renewals. North Shore, which has 26 locomotives and 200 cars, will submit a proposal to remain the operator, spokesman Todd Hunter said.

The new contract, which will be for seven years with an option by the authority or operator to extend it for five more, will be to operate Lycoming Valley, Nittany & Bald Eagle, Juniata Valley, Shamokin Valley and North Shore railroads.

Combined they transport nearly 30,000 carloads annually, with Lycoming Valley in the Williamsport area accounting for nearly 18,000 of them.

The other railroads are the Bald Eagle & Nittany between Lock Haven and Tyrone with a branch into the Bellefonte area, North Shore between Northumberland and Berwick by way of Danville, Juniata Valley in the Lewistown area and the Shamokin Valley between Sunbury and Mount Carmel through Shamokin.

There are connections with Norfolk Southern in Northumberland, Lock Haven and Tyrone and with Canadian Pacific in Sunbury.

The approximately 200 miles of track the authority owns also includes the small White Deer and Reading Railroad in Union County that will not be included in the request for proposals.

The 11-county SEDA, then known as SEDA Council of Governments, formed the authority in 1983 after using an Appalachian Regional Commission grant to identify local rail lines Conrail was abandoning that had the greatest potential for success.

Concern was expressed at the time about the economic impact to the communities facing the loss of rail service after Conrail left.

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